Thank You, Eden

"Show me that you can keep up."

Seven's grip tightened on the wooden sword. Across from him, Eden stood with her longsword angled lazily toward the ground. 

"Come."

"Aight."

Eden wasn't in her combat stance. She didn't need to be. Her sheer presence was enough for this sparring.

But he needs to try.

He surged forward with his wooden sword raised.

"First!"

The strike came from above, slicing down in a clean vertical arc. It was different from what he practiced earlier, which was a wide arc slash. But it didn't really matter. The seven-strike technique, or whatever the original Seven named it, was all about the seventh strike. The first ones are just for build-ups.

Seven poured everything into that first strike and he hoped to force her back, even just a little. But Eden stepped forward instead of retreating. 

Clank.

Her blade moved with a casual grace, and tilted it just enough to deflect his strike to the side.

The momentum nearly sent him off balance.

"Too stiff." 

Eden wasn't mocking him. Instead, she was dissecting his flaws.

"Your arms are doing all the work. Use your hips to guide the strike."

Seven grit his teeth as he swung his sword for a diagonal slash.

"Second."

This time, the strike carried more fluidity as his body moved in sync with the sword. The angle was sharp, and the speed faster than before. But then again, Eden anticipated it. 

Clank.

She didn't parry outright. Instead, her sword grazed his, redirecting it with minimal effort.

"Better."

She smiled as she stepped back. 

"But your weight is off-balance. If I countered just now…"

She moved before he could react, and spinned her sword in an arc that stopped an inch from his ribcage. Seven froze, as sweat beaded on his forehead.

"...You'd be dead." 

She lowered her blade.

"Again."

"Hah… Hah…."

Seven took a shaky breath and stepped back to reset his stance. 

"Third!"

He lunged forward, and his sword carved a horizontal path aimed at her midsection. The strike was no doubt faster than the previous one, but Eden reacted as if she had all the time in the world.

Clank.

Her sword intercepted his with a loud clack, locking them together for a brief moment.

"Your movements are too predictable." 

She said as she pressed his sword against his.

"Predictable?"

"Don't just attack where you think I'll be. Anticipate where I can't move."

She shoved his sword away. He staggered back.

"Again." 

He clenched his jaw and adjusted his grip. 

"Fourth!"

He dashed forward again. This time, he aimed low and sweeped his blade toward her legs. Eden took a leap backwards with an almost effortless movement. She landed lightly, and fixed her eyes on him.

"Not bad. But your strikes are all disconnected. Flow between them. Every attack should set up the next."

Seven nodded and grit his teeth as he dashed forward once more.

"Fifth!"

His blade snapped upward like an arcing slash meant to catch her off guard. 

Clank.

Eden's sword met his halfway, and the impact vibrated through his arms. She pushed him back again.

"You're relying too much on raw power. Control it. Power without aim is useless."

Seven staggered. His hands trembled from the effort of holding his sword. But he didn't stop. Eden wouldn't let him stop.

"Sixth!"

The blade came down in a heavy vertical strike, his full weight behind it. Eden raised her sword, blocking the attack with ease. 

For a moment, they stood locked together. His wooden sword pressing against her steel. His arms burned from the strain, but Eden's expression remained calm.

"Unfair. Wooden sword versus—"

"You're improving." 

And then she shoved him back with a burst of force. Seven stumbled, as he barely managed to keep his balance.

"Here."

Eden threw her steel sword, and it landed right before him. In response, he gave his sword to her as well.

"Again." 

He froze. It's not because he finally held a steel sword, but it's because he realized that….

'I've already swung more than seven times today.'

He faltered, and his grip on the sword loosened. 

"What's wrong?"

"I… I've already broken my vow."

Eden's expression softened, though her eyes remained sharp. She lowered her sword and took a step closer.

"That childish vow was never about strength. It was a crutch."

He looked up at her.

"You've been holding yourself back, and hiding behind a promise that doesn't mean anything anymore."

"B-But—"

"If you want to grow, you need to let it go."

"You're right…"

Eden nodded and stepped back into her stance.

"Good. Show me the seventh strike you're so proud of."

He tightened his grip on the wooden sword. His muscles screamed before he lunged himself forward one more time. 

Slash.

The first strike came fast, his sword swept toward her. Eden deflected it with ease, but he didn't stop. 

Slash.

The second strike followed immediately, then the third as each one was faster and sharper than before. Eden's eyes narrowed slightly, and her wooden sword moved in perfect rhythm to counter his attacks.

"Better."

Seven grunted in response. He cycled through the strikes, each one building on the last. By the time he reached the sixth, his body felt like it was on fire.

Ignite.

His eyes lit up, and without thinking, he transitioned into the final technique.

"Seventh!"

The word left his lips like a battle cry, and the strike was aimed directly at Eden's heart. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, caught off guard by the sudden shift in pace. But her instincts took over. She raised her sword and blocked the strike at the last possible moment.

Clank.

The force of the clash sent a shockwave through the ground. The thing is that the wooden sword she held didn't form any dent, while Seven's steel sword cracked.

[---> 0]

The flow of mana changed, and it was now focused on Eden's neck. It was a guide from Theia's Eye where to strike and how. Seeing it, his body moved on instinct, and his sword snapped toward her neck in a lightning-fast attack. 

Nature guided him.

Eden reacted just as quickly. Her sword came up in a blur, and stopped just an inch from his throat.

The world seemed to freeze.

Seven's breath hitched, as his heart pounded in his chest. He stared at the wooden sword hovering against his neck, its edge so close he could feel its cold presence. But it wasn't just him. His sword, too, was now just an inch away from Eden's neck.

Slowly, Eden lowered her sword.

"You almost had me."

Seven let out a shaky breath as he also lowered his sword.

"I… I got lucky."

"Don't get cocky. You're not ready yet. But… you've made progress."

She walked past him, her black hair danced in the wind as her ponytail fell off. Seven turned quickly and stared at her back. Beautiful. That was the only word stuck in his mind. 

And then…

Thud.

He bowed, as he called Eden's name.

"Eden Hart."

The way he said it—it wasn't as her younger brother, but as someone speaking to a figure he couldn't help but respect.

Eden halted her steps.

"This may be late, but I humbly thank you for saving my life and for your guidance today."

For a moment, it seemed like Eden would turn around. But then, without a word, she resumed her stride, heading toward the lined-up knights who awaited her commands.

"..."

Seven stood there, rooted in place. He, too, turned to leave. But before he could take more than a few steps, Eden spoke.

"Seven Hart."

He stopped, his feet frozen mid-step, his heart skipping a beat.

"Get stronger. Grow up fast. Prove me wrong. Show me you're not a mistake. Show the family you're not a dead weight."

He stopped. But he didn't turn around. Instead, he just smiled and gripped his sword as tight as he could.

"...I will."

Then, Eden continued her steps. Eventually, she left the training ground along with the knights. 

Seven, now, stood alone in the training grounds. 

Ding!

A system window materialized, glowing faintly.

[System Alert: Eden Hart's awakening path has been altered.]

[Sub-Talent: ??? (Locked). Condition not met.]

[Awakening Condition: Death of her dearest sibling (Condition Failed).]

[Revised Condition: ??? – System recalibrating…]

[Success!]

[Revised Condition: Receive heartfelt recognition from her dearest sibling (Condition Met).]

"Ahh… recognition?"

Recognition? He then realized that the words he spoke moments ago—words of gratitude and respect—were enough to fulfill Eden's revised condition.

"Is it a good thing or a—"

Ding!

[Anomaly Detected.]

[An extra character has played a vital role in awakening the Seventh Sword, Eden. A revision is required.]

[Revising…]

[Replacing the original storyline…]

[Revision complete.]

[You have obtained 7777 Narrative Points.]

Once again, it was 7777 Narrative Points that he didn't even know where to use them. But though the sheer number of points caught his attention, it paled in comparison to the other notifications flooding his vision.

Ding!

[Name: Eden Hart.]

[Main Talent: Swordsmanship.]

[Sub-Talent: Frost Magic.]

[Characteristic: A sword prodigy, unmatched in her ability to master any sword.]

"Frost magic…"

His heart pounded as he processed the words. It's finally here. The…

"The birth of the continent's first magic-swordsman, Eden—"

Ding!

[Notice!]

[All of the Seven Prophesied Figures have awakened their sub-talent.]

[Chapter 777, the first arc of "777, the Crowned Sovereign" will now begin.]

"Wait! Just wait! Damn it… Wait!" 

Seven stumbled back a step. The messages were overwhelming him. But the system didn't care about him at all as it continued to flash even more windows.

Ding!

[Act 1: Coronation of the Sovereign has begun.]